BETRAYED

District Council ‘stab in the back’ for veteran Chatteris Councillor !

Early this year Ray German announced that he would not be standing for re-election to his Chatteris Mills Town & District Council seats. He felt that the time had finally arrived for well deserved retirement. Ray served for 4 years in the RAF during WWII which must make him at least a venerable 84 years old !

However it seems this proposed retirement posed Ray’s Conservative ‘lords & masters’ a problem as the Liberal Democrats were shaping up to give the Tories a real run for their money in the 2007 elections.

So, seemingly against his wishes, Ray German was forced to stand again and was re-elected.

But did the Tories appreciate Ray’s unselfish support of his Party?

Certainly his treatment by his Tory “bosses” has been less than caring. Ray German has been a long-standing member of the District Planning Committee, and sometime thorn in the side of the ruling elite, speaking out for Chatteris and against the party line. Notably he argued passionately against a recent unpopular development in Chatteris, putting the Chairman of Planning ‘on the spot’.

Instead of rewarding Ray for his loyalty in standing again one final time, he has been kicked off the Planning Committee, and his place given to Florrie Newell. Apparently Cllr German is considered ‘no longer suitable’ because he doesn’t own a computer, and so is unable to receive e-mails, but you wonder if the real reason may be Ray’s single mindedness and his temerity in standing up to the Chairman of Planning.

It is notable that since May the Chairman of FDC Planning has consolidated his position. District Councillors on this committee had long been paid a small extra allowance (about £10/week) to reward them for the extra duties. This allowance to Committee members has been scrapped and instead the Chairman’s allowance has increased by 25%!

Will Cllr Ray German put up with this considerable snub ?

Rumour has it that Ray may be offered deputy chairmanship of Chatteris Town Council’s planning committee, but how well might that ‘consolation prize’ be received?

Do we smell the whiff of by-election in the air ?

Walter Burnett is a pen name.

WHAT PRICE FREEDOM OF SPEECH ?

It seems from a new comment that there is an anonymous critic of this site who seems to positively leap to conclusions! One wonders if this has been penned by the same individual who made ‘mature and considered’ remarks in certain election literature about the threat of a “virus” being introduced into Fenland Hall?

Anonymous has left a comment on your post "GROVE HOUSE":

“I think the actions of anyone who ridicules the body to which he/she has been elected insults the people who voted for him/her and are contemptable”

4 years ago, the last Town council set up a working party to establish a Town Council web site. This could have included agendas for meetings, minutes of the ensuing meetings, and a bulletin board for residents to ask questions or report concerns and problems. The working party delivered its recommendations to Town Council, who duly ignored them. No web site. And still no web site.

This blogger believes that the residents of Chatteris have a right to know what goes on at Town Council. After all residents pay for Town Council !

I fail to understand which part of my Grove House blog “ridicules” Town Council. It merely records the facts. Readers may feel that the refusal to support Cllr Colbert’s motion of 6th March 2007 was short sighted and ridiculous, but that’s their judgment based on the facts I have published.

The suggestion inherent in the anonymous comment is that I shouldn’t report the activities of the Council, be they successes or failures. This is the philosophy of a totalitarian state, where freedom of speech is forbidden !

The many people who are regularly logging in, and who have expressed their support, need not worry as a bit of old fashioned, blinkered and reactionary criticism won’t silence me.

Walter Burnett is a pen name.

GROVE HOUSE

GROVE HOUSE
The continuing rape of Chatteris and the Town Council’s refusual to act !

Once upon a time, Chatteris was a proud market town with fine Civic Offices which in modern parlance provided a ‘one-stop-shop’ service to the town. Then in 1974 along came local government re-organisation and Chatteris’s assets were gifted to the fledgling Fenland District Council in the 1970’s, including the former offices of Chatteris Urban District Council - Grove House.

The historic records of quite how much this golden gift package contained are strangely illusive. FDC’s paperwork was apparently lost years ago in a flood. The County Archive is sadly unable to help. One can only speculate at the current value of this package of assets, but FDC this year sold of one small parcel of land in Chatteris inherited from the U.D.C. for over £1/2 million. The total value of the assets they inherited from Chatteris must now be far in excess of the current costs of both a Leisure Centre & Country Park !

It would appear that the thinking behind the gift of assets was to give the embryonic District Council financial reserves to guarantee its financial health through these initial formative years. But 33 years on from this restructuring, Chatteris remains desperately poor in resources, and FDC has become fantastically wealthy. Despite a £17 million decrease in the consolidated balance sheet for 2005/6 FDC still record assets of £172 million !

In the 1990’s FDC found that the former civic centre of town was no longer required to provide a ‘one stop service’ for Chatteris and decided to get rid of Grove House. Thinking then was that it was better to ‘centralise’ services in March.

But when, at that time, Chatteris Town Council inquired about buying Grove House back, FDC outrageously demanded £250,000 to return our asset, then flogged it off cheap to the Isle of Ely College for £6,000. Despite this obvious scandalous financial inconsistency, at least the building continued to play a diminished role in the community life of Chatteris. Unfortunately it appears that the college had little funds for maintenance, and our building has been neglected and allowed to deteriorate for years.

In 2004 FDC finally realised that centralising services in March had been short sighted and launched its flag ship policy of returning services to the Market Towns. Hundreds of thousands of pounds were poured into the privately owned new ‘one-stop-shop’, while the original (and still the best) potential civic centre stood by.

Although sadly neglected, the building is fortunately protected by ‘listing’. The College has recently decided to follow FDC’s unfortunate 1990’s precedent, and centralise its activities at March. Grove House is now surplus to their requirements, and presumably will be disposed of.

In March 2007, Cllr Christine Colbert put the following motion to Chatteris Town Council: "Following the cessation of the education use of Grove House, Chatteris Town Council calls upon Fenland District Council to secure the return of Grove House from the College of West Anglia at a figure deemed appropriate given the terms of the sale agreement. Chatteris Town Council further calls upon Fenland District Council to return the building to Chatteris for the benefit of the community at nil cost to Chatteris." In one of its most remarkable ever demonstrations of short sightedness, the old Town Council , lead by the then Chairman, voted down the motion.

Instead Chatteris Town Council invited the Principal of the College to Council to discuss the future of Grove House. This invitation was declined. The then council leader (now deputy mayor) appeared on the front page of the Fenland Citizen Chatteris Extra demanding that the building shouldn’t be allowed to become an ‘eye sore’.

How about Town Council actually stopping wingeing and doing something about it themselves ?

Last week the Cambs Times reported the close cooperation between the College and FDC in setting up the new campus west of March. Chatteris needs its 4 newly reelected District Councillors to ensure this cooperation extends to Chatteris, and saving Grove House for the people of Chatteris.

The building belongs to Chatteris, and mustn’t be flogged off just to finance the March development. Chatteris is so short of facilities this key building simply can’t be squandered.

Below is a comments box. During the recent election campaign, many opinions were expressed by residents on the future of Grove House, but not one person seemd to feel it should be flogged off to fund building the March college!
Youth Centre, Civic Centre, Museum ? Please use the comments box to say what you think. Or e-mail me at walter.burnett@googlemail.com I promise to pass your opinions on to the Council.

Walter Burnett is a pen name.

MORE STUFF (yawn)

Following on from my report of the first thrilling meeting of the new Chatteris Town Council (The Queen is dead - long live the Queen), I thought I should mention the Annual Town Meeting which immediately preceded it. The Annual Town Meeting is designed to report to the public the Town Council’s remarkable achievements of the previous year.

The start was fairly confusing as the new Town Councillors (who had not at that time signed their Declarations of Office) settled down with those that remained from the previous Council, so the Annual Town Meeting consisted of the new Council and was chaired by the previous Chairman, Florrie Newell.

The meeting was favoured by the attendance of Chatteris’s two County Councillors, Messrs. Melton and Harper. Cllr Harper (also leader of the District Council) briefly addressed the Town Council, and spoke in glowing terms of Cllr Melton’s successful restoration of Chatteris House and murmured about the possible prospect of a Chatteris Science Park. (Which some of us will believe when we see it !) As to County Councillor Melton, those of you who know Alan won’t be surprised to learn that he wasn’t going to turn down any opportunity to speak ! And at considerable length !

Cllr Melton advised the congealed masses that:
* The suggested cancellation of the Christmas lights had itself been cancelled (and as two cancellations make a positive, the lights will now happen)
* He (Cllr Melton) had almost single handedly rescued that prominent land mark Chatteris House from dereliction. (A claim which had bizarrely been the central plank of Alan’s recent election campaign). This ignored the saga of the compulsory purchase of the building by the District Council and its sudden discounted sale (as featured in the Cambs Times on 6 May 2005). The question has been asked “why should his paid employment by a commercial property developer be a recommendation for Public Office ?”.
* Fenland District Council are now at last properly collecting community benefit from Developers! No more £1million black holes ! (Cambs Times 28.10.05). However no mention was made of the reason for FDC’s earlier ineptitude, nor the apparent difficulties the District Council appears to experience in actually spending the money in the communities where it belongs !
* Finally, Alan proudly announced his elevation to County Council portfolio holder in charge of Corporate Services.
After questioning from that ‘pesky’ Lib Dem Chris Howes, County Cllr Melton admitted that County Council had finally accepted that the requirement to achieve “best value” when disposing of assets, could mean “best community value”, not just “best financial value”. THIS IS TRULY GOOD NEWS AND EFFECTS SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT CHATTERIS ISSUES !

Next it was the turn of District Cllr Murphy. The good Councillor had only that day been volunteered to represent Fenland District Council at this meeting (despite the presence of both the Leader and former Leader of FDC ). He was questioned by Cllr Howes :
* When asked to explain the £17 million reduction to the FDC revenue account, he promised to “get back on that one”.
* When asked to advise exactly why FDC had halved its annual grant to Cromwell Community College, he promised to “get back on that one”
* When asked if any of the £507,000 recently received by FDC for selling land in Chatteris that formerly belonged to Chatteris UDC, might be spent on capital projects actually in Chatteris, he promised to “get back on that one”.

Well that’s an awful lot of “getting back”. Your dedicated bloger promises to let you know if and when answers arrive to these important questions. And inform you of the answers, or remind you if the questions remain unanswered. So much to look forward to !

The Queen is dead ! Long live the Queeen ! (not)

The new Chatteris Town Council met for the first time on the 8th May. Your dedicated blogger has pledged to report to you all the triumphs, disasters, and shenanigans of this august body.

The burning question was who would become Chatteris’ first Mayor. Would Florrie surrender her vice like grip on the chair after 16 years ? Would the eternal bridesmaid, Sue Elam, finally get her hour of glory ? The meeting started with a eulogy of praise for Florrie, appropriately lead by the ‘oldest member’ octogenarian Ray German. Flowers and paintings were given in recognition of her truly memorable achievement (the praise being directed at Florrie’s longevity, not her actual record of achievement which could be best summarised as keeping the Town’s £1million languishing in the bank for almost all that period).

The outgoing chair then named her heir - and indeed it was our Sue ! Cllr Elam accepted the honour with yet more fulsome praise for her predecessor, and the meeting turned to its next appointment, that of mayor in waiting, or deputy mayor. Quick as a flash Florrie’s sister in law (Cllr Stimson) proposed - no wait for it, guess - yes Florrie herself.

As the smoke cleared and the mirrors stopped revolving (metaphorically speaking) it became clear that the whole succession was an elaborately stage managed illusion. Florrie was still close to the top of the table, the reigns as firmly grasped in her hands as ever, and Sue little more than a titular head. “Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme difference !” (the more things change, the more they stay the same) Spare a thought for poor Sue. Will she really be allowed to get on with trying to achieve positive change, or will her worthwhile endeavours continue to be put down, suppressed, or simply vetoed ?

Both mayor and deputy made frequent and repeated reference to the ‘great loss’ to the council of the councillors who failed to be re-elected, unenthusiastically welcoming the new councillors through apparently gritted teeth. It appeared that the “old guards’ ” wrath was not directed at the new members who belonged to their own party, but at the new 23 year old Lib Dem, Ed Bryce, for his temerity in obtaining a democratic mandate. A bizarre and slightly unpleasant ritual then followed, when the councillors went round the table introducing themselves. One by one they justified their office solely in terms of how long they have lived in Chatteris. It appears that the combined group are qualified entirely on the basis of having lived in town for over 300 years between them. Florrie’s ‘iron grip’ is justified by the Doomsday book ! All hope of a new and inclusive council flew out the window with the clearly implied criticism of the three lib dem councillors (7 years, 7 years and 13 years in Chatteris) as new comers. This ongoing criticism that new comers shouldn’t have any say in the future of the Town they have chosen to make their home, was a dark and deeply offensive characteristic of the last Council, clearly inherited by the new Council. This blogger believes that the Council should represent all Chatteris, not denigrate recent arrivals and continue to compound the myth of a deep division between ‘old & new Chatteris’ !

More of this fascinating Machiavellian tragedy to follow !

Walter Burnett is a pen name.

BATTLE FOR THE CROWN

The freshly elected new Chatteris Town Council meets for the first time on Tuesday 8 May 2007.

Its first job will be to elect Chatteris’ first Mayor. The prospect of donning the Chain has engaged many of the Members, and betting is fierce on who will receive this honour. Leading contenders are:

No. 1 - Cllr Mrs Florence Newell. ‘Florrie’ has already been chairman of the town council for a quite remarkable 16 years ! In May ‘06 Florrie went to press saying that should would not even stand again for Town Council in May 07, however a change of heart has seen her re-elected for the Wenneye ward. More recently she has ruled out becoming the first Mayor, but will the glitter of Office prove too seductive to the only member of the council who doesn’t actually live in Chatteris ?

No. 2 - Cllr Mrs Sue Elam. Sue has loyally served Florrie as deputy Chairman for 9 years, not even protesting when Florence has claimed credit for Sue’s achievements (for example the mini skate board park). It is widely know that Sue coverts the ‘crown’ and many believe she has always been promised the succession. But in the cold light of the new council will political ambition take precedence over old promises ? And if the promise to Sue is reneged on, will Sue be able to bare to stay on the council ? She may be offered the consultation of Deputy Mayor, but can Sue remain for ever the bridesmaid ?

No. 3 - Cllr Peter Murphy. Peter appeared to become Florence’s deadliest of enemies in 2003 when he defeated her in the 2003 district council election. However since Florence defected and became a ‘born again Conservative’ an uneasy marriage of convenience exists, which extended to Florence standing with Peter in Wenneye ward for town (and accepting the diminished role of ‘second fiddle’) and the reverse alliance happening in Slade Lode ward. Peter’s rise within the District Council was been meteoric, with his almost immediate elevation to ‘portfolio holder for toilets’. Hot money is on Peter becoming the first Mayor, but most observers believe that no-one can achieve this exalted position without Florence’s blessing. Are all the old wounds really completely healed ?

This blogger promises not only to update you with the result, but also report all the shenanigans and political manoevering. And I plan to regularly update you on happenings at this ‘vicar of Dibleyesque’ body. Wait with baited breath for your next installment !

Walter Burnett is a pen name